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Wardrobe Pain Points

aloha emily

School started for me this week as a teacher and a mom- a huge change in routine from slower summer schedules. Getting dressed daily with zero extra time made the pain points in my wardrobe glaringly clear.

1. Ironing. I need to do it. Each morning I reached for at least one lovely item I then couldn’t wear for the wrinkles! Can solve by setting aside time for ironing and by planning outfits in advance so I know what to prep.

2. Tops. Such a challenge for me!! Pants, skirts, shorts and dresses are easy for me, and I have plenty of good options in my closet. Tops are so hard! I have some graphic t’s, but most are in a traditional silhouette and I like a more modern boxy fit now. I have a couple polos, but those feel pretty casual to me now.

Where do fabbers shop for dressy blouses without a million bells and whistles?

Shopping

19 replies

Latest reply was from Roberta

Roberta

Veteran

I'm a fan of Loft for tops that are a little dressy but in wearable, comfortable fabrics. They also are very reasonably priced. Here are two that I bought this year.

Floral Tie Cuff Blouse

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Lace Trim Embroidered Pleated Top

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LJP

Veteran

This is a concern (relatively speaking ) for me too. For work I want a black top that is fashion-forward/current/modern . Nothing plain or basic unless it's a cashmere sweater. I have had recent good luck at Banana Republic, Aritizia and local boutiques who carry brands a little off the radar.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Quince has about a million basics for tops and blouses. I'm not sure I love their traditional button-down, though I have not tried it. But they have a lot of modern, comfortable looks.

Ironing! A problem for me, too. My lifestyle is so minimal right now (unemployed) that I can get around town without ironing. But it is beginning to bother me, and I, too, need to set aside time.

Runcarla

Veteran

I can’t help with the top, but I have some ideas about ironing!

I’ve never minded ironing, and do lots of it when I’m working on sewing projects (quilting and such) however DH has been the primary ‘Iron Man’, lol! This summer I’ve been stealing the ironing from him. During the really hot weather I got into the habit of secluding myself in a cool, quiet room away from the hubbub of the household, and listening to an audio book. I’ve also set the ironing board up in front of a window with natural light and a pretty view, so that when I look up from my work I have something nice to look at. It’s actually an escape I look forward to.

Just today I replaced the old, worn pad on my ironing board with a nice new one.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I hate ironing also. I would be lucky to do it once a year? I just don’t buy anything that needs ironing. Can’t help on tops sorry as wrong side of the world!

Kyle

Veteran

My very best tops this summer have come from Madewell. I also suggest having a look at Nordstrom Rack.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I’m nodding along with all the suggestions and recommendations, Emily.

I will add:

Personally, I tend to find my tops at Boden, Ralph Lauren, COS, Nordstrom, J. Crew, and Bloomies. Or on my travels. Occasionally, Zara, G-Star and BR.

My 2 cents about ironing:

As for ironing, I don’t mind it! It’s so worth to me to wear polished-looking and crease-free clothes. Since I wear a lot of cotton - it needs pressing. Once I’m in the rhythm of things not piling up - I find it quite satisfying to iron clothes! It’s fast, and I’m very practiced at it. I carefully hang items back in my closet so that they don’t crease. If I’ve worn an item, but can wear it again before laundry - I re-press it too.

You need a really good steam iron. So I have that. It’s also very easy to pull out and use the ironing board and iron here in our loft. Very reachable! Important.

If you have space - (we don’t) - leaving the iron and ironing board permanently out helps too. Extra accessible.

Others find that steaming is a great option. It does not work for me. I’ve tried. Iron and iron board works best for my type of clothes. Also, I can’t store a steamer

Also, since I don’t put my clothes in the dryer - with the exception of some wardrobe basics - they crease as they air dry. I have a great need to press!

cat2

Veteran

I like Antonio Melani at Dillards for cotton, linen and silk blouses and popovers. They are better quality than Quince, which is often recommended but I find a waste of $$$. I also like Brooks Brothers for knit tops; they usually have some cotton blends that work well layered with a jacket of some sort. I also have a few Talbots tees; most of them wrinkle, which I don’t appreciate, but the cotton/modal/spandex blend boat necks don’t. The Talbots Perfect Turtleneck Sweater similarly doesn’t wrinkle.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm glad Talbots was mentioned! Their tops work flawlessly for some clients. AllSaints is another. I have a few great tops from both brands in my current wardrobe. Knits and mesh.

JAileen

Veteran

I don’t know how dressy they are, but I like Tommy Hilfiger tops at Macy’s, and have quite a few. I also have Style & Co and Charter Club, which are Macy’s house brands. I like boxy, too, but mainly because I don’t have much of a waist anymore, and hate anything clingy. I have #2-8. #1 is very similar to a couple I have, but with a different neckline. Most of these need to be ironed.

1-5 Tommy Hilfiger
6-7 Style & Co
8 Charter Club linen

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aloha emily

Thank you so much for great ideas!

Runcarla- making pleasant space and time for ironing is a great idea. A little moment of calm rather than just another chore.

Angie, I think falling behind on ironing is a big part of my problem. I finally decided to pay my son per item ironed, to catch me up at least! Also, he’s better at it than me.

Roberta, what beautiful reds!!

RJP- boutiques sometimes intimidate me. I’ll give them a shot! BR hasn’t had my colors lately, but I will try again and also aritzia.

Carol, the quince tops I’ve seen are just a bit too casual for my needs. I got bike shorts there, and love them. Couldn’t find a long enough inseam anywhere else for comfortably exercising hard.

Jenni NZ, avoiding tops that need ironing has been my strategy up until now- but then linen took over my hot weather wardrobe and ironing became unavoidable!

Kyle and cat2, I had forgotten about Madewell and Brooks Brothers- will take a look both places!

aloha emily

JAileen, thank you for putting Tommy Hilfiger back on my radar! I’m such a Nordies girl that I forget about Macys. I’ll check out numbers 2 and 8!

Angie, do you recommend a specific iron? And I’ll try all the brands you mentioned!

Lisa

Veteran

I'm a big ironing person. I iron most of my wardrobe items, even my jeans! I do not like creases and I air dry most things, so ironing is just a weekly to do for me, usually on Sunday's so items are ready for the week.

I've found great luck with Vince Camuto, Kut from the Kloth, WHBM, Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft for pullover blouses for work settings.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Emily--good tip! I need some bike shorts.

JAileen

Veteran

I went to iron something yesterday and my iron wouldn’t work. I thought my husband must have unplugged it. Nope. I plugged it into other plugs. Still, no. I checked with Consumer Reports (we signed up because we needed a new refrigerator) and their #1 was Rowenta, but the model was unavailable. So I ordered the #2, a Panasonic, from Amazon and should get it in a day or two. I don’t remember when I bought my old iron. It was Sears Roebuck. I think it was at least 30 years old.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I don't mind ironing but I do tend to let it pile up. Once I have my items ready to be ironed, I do a big batch and then I wear my pressed items until I need to another batch. This ensures I wear all my clothes. It does mean I need -- not duplicates of essential tops, exactly, but more than one potential top for each bottom I might wear. I like Carla's method -- audio book or podcast as I iron.

Nodding with Angie about the iron -- and that is my current problem. Our wonderful Maytag steam iron bit the dust a few weeks ago. And we haven't found a replacement. I like one with a cord that can swivel -- one of us is right handed and one of us left handed and a swivel feature helps with that. I would love a retractable cord, too.

I love your idea to pay your son to do the job! Outsourcing!

I don't have specific recommendations for tops -- it might depend on what style you are looking for. You mention you'd like a more modern boxy fit....I have a few from Everlane that fit that description, one of which I had to shorten to make it work. These are older but they might have similar now.... I also have luck with Zara, J. Crew, and I have had luck in the past with Loft (esp. for summery tops).

The City Stripe V-Neck Top

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LJP

Veteran

An iron with a retractable cord may actually get me ironing again. Pulling out the iron and the board is just one thing that pushes me over the edge. I long for the days when I actually had a laundry room in my house.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Suz, high five!

Emily, soliciting your son to iron has me LAUGHING

As for irons - in my experience - Rowenta and Philips make the best.

Roberta

Veteran

As to ironing, I did so much when I was sewing regularly that I got to enjoy it. A zen moment, if you will, and so satisfying to see the fabrics smooth and crisp. In my condo, I have a little laundry room and use an ironing pad on top of my dryer. One accessory that made a world of difference was a wall-mounted iron holder. https://a.co/d/6ngYQci